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Jungkook keeps up the chant even as the wind whips at his skin, even as the air thins and it gets difficult to breathe, even as the heat surges dramatically and has sweat rolling down his back.
The words pour out of his mouth automatically, ingrained in his brain for years now. Most of his attention is focused on two of his hyungs trying to kill the demon trapped in the binding circle, though.
Jimin and Taehyung look amazing together - as deadly as they are beautiful. Any two out of the seven of them work seamlessly together, practice makes perfect after all, but the self-proclaimed soulmates are something else to witness.
The glow of the runes and circle lines paints them in harsh reds, accentuating the frowns of concentration on their faces. The demon’s red eyes match the glow. Its sharp teeth snap at Jimin’s arm but he’s quick to pull back to avoid getting hurt.
Taehyung manages to pin the demon’s corporeal form to the cement floor, right over the pentagram. The demon snarls and curses at them in an ancient language. It struggles against Taehyung, and Taehyung shouts for Jimin to hurry up.
But Jimin has lost his dagger during the fight. Jungkook can see it outside the circle, just to the left of Hoseok, the metal of it glinting blood red. Jimin notices it too and swears harsher than the demon. He can’t exit the circle, nor can any of the others move and pass him the dagger.
Yoongi’s voice grows louder then, carrying over the harsh artificial wind. Jimin looks to him, as do the rest of them. Not skipping any words of the chant, Yoongi motions to something with his chin.
The demon’s sword that Taehyung and Jimin wrestled away from it lies just at the edge of the binding circle; the only weapon available. So Jimin goes for it as fast as he can.
Jimin grabs the sword and skids on his knees right to where Taehyung is struggling to keep the demon pinned. There’s not a moment of hesitation before Jimin plunges the sword into the demon’s chest and twists it.
Jungkook expects the usual shrieks of agony, his shoulders already inching towards his ears in preparation, but the demon laughs. It’s a short little chuckle, mocking and gleeful. Jungkook doesn’t get to contemplate it more before the demon turns into dust.
And just like that the wind disappears, the red glow dies out, and the temperature drops instantly. Jungkook drops to his knees, gulping in breath after breath, head spinning with it. His hyungs aren’t faring better, all of them in various states of exhaustion after an exorcism.
Once his breathing is more normal and his heart no longer threatens to burst out of his chest, Jungkook plops down on his ass and looks around to check on his hyungs.
Seokjin is starfished on the floor of the abandoned warehouse, eyes closed and chest heaving. Jungkook scrunches his nose. Just sitting on the cement floor is making him feel icky, he can’t imagine lying down.
Yoongi is much like Jungkook, trying to catch his breath. Their eyes meet and Yoongi lifts an eyebrow in silent question - are you okay? Jungkook nods, also not having the energy to speak.
Hoseok is the worst off out of all of them. His bright soul reacts especially strongly to demonic entities, and the exorcisms drain him a lot more than any of them.
Namjoon is crouched beside Hoseok, a hand on his nape massaging gently. In the relative quiet of the room, Jungkook hears Namjoon’s low soothing murmur guiding Hoseok through every inhale and exhale.
Jimin and Taehyung are still inside the pentagram, leaning into each other. Taehyung is hiding in the crook of Jimin’s neck as Jimin pets his hair to ground and calm him. Jimin himself looks especially pale, still clutching the sword with his free hand.
It can’t have been even ten seconds before the runes suddenly burst into color again. Jungkook inhales sharply and covers his eyes at the sudden bright red glow. Pain scorches the inside of his left wrist then and Jungkook groans.
As quickly as it started, the glow disappears, leaving them once again in the light of a couple bulbs that haven’t been busted yet. Jungkook checks his wrist immediately.
There, over his veins, sits a black mark. The two shapes are geometric for some reason - trapezoids opposite one another, mirroring each other.
As Jungkook stares at the mark in confusion, the burning sensation returns. It scorches inside his veins, turning them black and slowly creeping up his arm. Jungkook hisses at the pain and presses his right hand onto his wrist in a futile attempt to quell it.
“What the fuck,” he hears Seokjin groan out.
Jungkook lifts his head to see all his hyungs staring at their wrists. But two of them don’t look as confused as others.
Namjoon’s eyes are wide, mouth parted open in shock. He doesn’t respond to Hoseok’s question if he’s okay. On the other side of the binding circle, Yoongi pales dramatically even for him. Jungkook quickly gets up to go kneel next to him, an arm around Yoongi’s shoulders, afraid his hyung is about to pass out.
The scorching heat beneath Jungkook’s skin intensifies and the blackness inches up on his arm. But that’s not what makes Jungkook flinch.
Yoongi suddenly grabs his left arm with both hands, eyes locked on the mark. He breathes in harshly and croaks out, “It’s Jungkook. Joon, it’s Jungkook.”
Jungkook blinks in confusion and his eyebrows scrunch as a frown comes onto his face. “It’s me what?” he asks.
Namjoon comes barreling towards them, dropping heavily onto his knees, and Jungkook makes a protesting noise at his hyung hurting himself even if Namjoon doesn’t seem to notice it.
Namjoon’s hands join Yoongi’s on Jungkook’s arm, and Jungkook wouldn’t be able to move it even if he wanted to. The others quickly gather around them too, looking at the mark as if it has all the answers.
“It’s different from mine,” Taehyung mumbles. He extends his arm next to Jungkook’s and the difference is obvious - the long edge of the trapezoids on Taehyung’s mark are on the outside while Jungkook’s are on the inside.
“Mine too,” Jimin says and shows off his hand for comparison. His mark is the same as Taehyung’s.
“Fuck fuck fuck,” Namjoon swears emphatically. He closes his eyes and takes deep breaths while Yoongi sits there, frozen.
“Will someone please explain what’s going on?” Seokjin demands, short-tempered.
“It’s a spell,” Yoongi murmurs, eyes locked on Jungkook’s arm and the wisps of black steadily creeping up his skin.
“A linking death spell. It’s very rare, only high level demons know it and very few of them would have enough power to cast it, especially since there’s so many of us,” Yoongi’s rambling now, clearly too worried to control himself.
“Hyung,” Jungkook interrupts. “What does it mean exactly? Why is mine different from all of yours?”
“I don’t know why you specifically,” Yoongi whispers. His thumb is now brushing over the black lines on Jungkook’s wrist, touch so gentle Jungkook barely feels it over the burning pain.
“It could’ve been any of us,” Yoongi continues. “But the point of it is that the six of us die when the spell reaches our hearts. Your mark means that you stay alive.”
Air whooshes out of Jungkook’s lungs and no more of it comes in. The galloping of his heart is almost painful in his chest. Jungkook can’t hear much past the rushing of blood in his ears, and his vision swims. Maybe he’s the one on the verge of passing out, after all.
“That’s not-,” Jungkook mumbles, tongue too heavy in his mouth that’s suddenly too dry. “You can’t - I can’t lose you.” Jungkook’s eyes desperately bounce from one hyung to another.
“Oh my god,” Jimin sobs out, a hand on his mouth as tears start to run down his cheeks. Taehyung and Seokjin are quick to envelop him in a hug from either side of him.
“Jungkookie’s going to live?” Hoseok asks, voice wrought with emotion as tears shine in his eyes too. He clears his throat. “That’s good. If any of us deserves it, it’s you.” He smiles sadly at Jungkook and caresses his cheek gently.
But Jungkook pulls away from him harshly and jumps to his feet. “Good?!” he demands. “How the fuck is any of this good?”
“Jungkook-ah,” Seokjin says, a hand going to tug Jungkook back into their little pile.
Jungkook steps back, angry tears now making tracks on his face. “How do you expect me to live when all six of you die from a fucking spell?”
This can’t be happening, Jungkook thinks. It’s not real. It’s one of his nightmares that consume him after an exorcism. Soon he’ll wake up and cuddle up to the closest hyung he can reach and will be soothed back to sleep with gentle touches and kisses.
“Baby, it’s okay,” Namjoon says in his softest tone, the one he uses when an unsuspecting victim witnesses a demonic entity and is freaking out. Jungkook feels a little insulted by that, but he allows Namjoon to wrap him up in a hug.
“You’re going to be okay,” Namjoon murmurs into Jungkook’s curls, kissing his head. It just makes Jungkook sob louder.
Someone presses to Jungkook’s back, and then someone else on either side of him. His hyungs hide him from the world, and Jungkook clings onto whoever he can reach.
There aren’t words to describe the pit of despair that’s gaping in his chest now. He no longer has a heart, or lungs, or anything else. There’s just an all-consuming black hole where his chest should be. And even if the spell burns him from the inside out, Jungkook feels nothing but cold.
“There-there has to be a way,” Jungkook whispers into Namjoon’s chest. He lifts his head and pleads his hyung with his eyes. Namjoon always knows how to fix things, he has to know what to do now.
“Please, hyung. A spell can always be broken, you taught me that. Please,” Jungkook chokes on the last word as a sob lodges in his throat.
Namjoon’s gaze runs away from Jungkook. “This one can’t be, Jungkook-ah. I’m sorry. There’s another option but I don’t even want to consider it.”
A hopeful flutter reduces the black hole in Jungkook’s chest. “What other option?”
“Don’t tell him,” Yoongi protests weakly, head thunking against Namjoon’s bicep. “Please don’t tell him.”
But Namjoon, along with Jungkook’s other hyungs, could never say no to Jungkook. So he gulps and says, “If one of us kills you, the six of us get to live.”
The warehouse is quiet and still for a second before it explodes into a cacophony of angry voices.
“That’s not a solution!”
“We’re not sacrificing Jungkookie for us!”
“What kind of fucked up spell is this?”
“Okay,” Jungkook says, determined and calm, and all of them fall silent immediately, their wide eyes boring into him.
“Don’t you fucking even think about it,” Jimin growls out. His cheeks are splotchy red and wet from crying but he still looks terrifying as he grabs Jungkook by the collar and shakes him. “Are you stupid? We’re not doing it.”
Jungkook frowns. He wraps his fingers around Jimin’s wrists and pries his hands off of himself. “It’s my decision, Jiminie-hyung.”
“Fuck you and your decision!” Jimin spits out angrily and pushes at Jungkook’s chest harshly, making Jungkook stumble back.
“I’m with Jiminie on this one,” Taehyung says, arms crossed and a frown on his face. “There’s no way any of us are doing it.”
Jungkook glares at both of them. “How is it fair that the six of you get to sacrifice yourselves for me, but I can’t do the same?”
“It’s not about fair, it’s about keeping you alive,” Hoseok argues, clearly taking Jimin and Taehyung’s side too.
“Why do I deserve to live more than any of you?” Jungkook asks. He turns to Yoongi and Namjoon. “Hyungs, think about it. If all of you stay alive, you can continue to rid the world of all the demons. You can help people. You can make a difference.”
Then Jungkook turns to Seokjin, who shakes his head and looks away blinking back tears, but it doesn’t stop Jungkook from pleading with him. “Seokjinie-hyung, I won’t survive on my own. I won’t want to. The six of you are the best thing to happen to me. I don’t know how to live without you.”
Lastly Jungkook looks at Jimin, Taehyung, and Hoseok, his own vision blurring with tears. “Please don’t make me be alone again. I can’t, hyungies. Please.”
It’s Seokjin who hugs Jungkook tight this time. He sways them from side to side, shushing Jungkook’s sobs, murmuring platitudes that mean nothing in this situation.
“It’s Jungkook’s decision,” Jungkook hears Namjoon say slowly, carefully.
“You did not just say that,” Jimin growls.
“Do you think I’m fucking happy having to say it?!” Namjoon snarls right back. “You think I love Jungkookie any less than you, Jimin? You think I want him to sacrifice himself for us?”
Namjoon yanks Jimin’s arm, far harsher than he’d normally be with any of them, let alone Jimin, and pushes back Jimin’s sleeve. The black lines are past the crease of Jimin’s elbow.
“We’re dying. All of us,” Namjoon says. “What would you do if you were the only one to survive this? Would you not die to save the six of us? Because I would in a heartbeat.”
Jimin clenches his jaw hard as he stares at Namjoon, neither of them willing to break the gaze and lose. But after a few charged seconds, Jimin tugs his arm back and steps away from Namjoon. He doesn’t say anything, though.
All of them are silent then. Jungkook sniffles and wipes at his cheeks before breaking Seokjin’s hold. He walks to the dagger Jimin dropped what feels like hours ago and takes it in hand.
“No,” he hears Hoseok whisper. “We’re not actually doing this, are we?”
When Jungkook turns around to face all of them, Hoseok’s wide eyes are jumping from person to person as if willing them to deny this.
“Promise me you’ll help each other get through this,” Jungkook asks, fingers gripping the hilt of the dagger tight.
Jungkook has no illusions this won’t be absolutely horrible for his hyungs, their love for him is the only thing that’s kept Jungkook going the last few years since he found them.
But it’s better this way, Jungkook thinks to himself. He wasn’t lying when he told them he wouldn’t survive alone. He’d surely die of heartbreak, left all alone, but his hyungs can keep each other alive. Their love is strong enough to make it through this.
“Jungkook-ah, don’t,” Taehyung chokes out, tears rolling down his pretty face. He drops to his knees and it shatters Jungkook’s heart into a million pieces. “Please, baby. You can’t.”
Jungkook takes quick steps towards him and kneels right in front of him, hugging him tight. “Take care of them for me, Taehyungie-hyungie,” he whispers into Taehyung’s ear before pressing a kiss to his temple.
They spend a few more seconds hugging, but a flinch from Taehyung and the burning ache creeping up Jungkook’s bicep remind him that they don’t have much time.
“Try to annoy the hyungs as much as possible. You’ll have to make up for me,” Jungkook tries to joke, and Taehyung sputters a surprised laugh.
Jungkook offers Taehyung a little smile, drinks in his hyung’s handsome features for the last time, and then leans in for a kiss. It’s salty and wet, and Taehyung pulls away too quickly to whimper into Jungkook’s neck.
“I love you so much, Jungkook-ah. So much,” Taehyung mumbles.
Jungkook bites the inside of his cheek to not burst into tears. “I love you too,” he whispers.
And then he’s pulling away from Taehyung, who curls into a ball on the cement floor, hiding his face in his hands.
Jungkook glances at Jimin then. “Jimin-ssi,” he begins, but Jimin shakes his head.
“Fuck you, Jungkook. Fuck you,” Jimin swears and hiccups as tears make an appearance again.
“Are those really the last words you want to say to me?” Jungkook asks with a raised eyebrow.
Jimin glares at him. “How can you joke right now?”
Jungkook steps up to Jimin and tentatively wraps an arm around his waist. “Jiminie-hyung, please don’t be angry with the others. Blame me if you want to. You’ll need the others as much as they’ll need you.”
“But I need you too,” Jimin cries and throws his hands around Jungkook’s neck. He squeezes so tight that Jungkook deliriously thinks that the dagger won’t even be necessary.
“I know. I’m sorry,” is all Jungkook can say to that.
They exchange their I love you’s too, and Jimin nuzzles Jungkook’s cheek before kissing him deep and lingering. It’s difficult for Jungkook to extract himself from Jimin’s hold, but Taehyung comes to his rescue, the two soulmates clinging onto each other.
Hoseok is next to wrap Jungkook in a hug. “It’s not fair, it’s so not fair,” he sniffles, crying near silently, and holding Jungkook like the most precious thing in the world.
“I love you, I love you, I love you,” Jungkook whispers back, pressing kisses to wherever he can – Hoseok’s collarbones, his neck, his jawline.
“We don’t have to do this, Jungkook-ah,” Hoseok pleads as he pulls away and cups Jungkook’s cheeks.
Jungkook shakes his head. “Don’t force me to live without you, hyung. I can’t.”
Hoseok doesn’t have an argument against it, so he simply presses their foreheads together, pecks Jungkook’s lips several times.
The spell is now burning over Jungkook’s shoulder. By the way Hoseok groans, he knows his hyungs feel it too.
“There’s not much time left,” Jungkook mumbles.
Hoseok doesn’t try to keep him from pulling away, resigned even if he doesn’t agree. He joins Taehyung and Jimin, wrapping his arms around them both and trying to soothe them.
His last three hyungs are huddled together too. Namjoon clings to Seokjin in a side hug, hiding his face in Seokjin’s shoulder, and Yoongi and Seokjin are holding hands. Clutching at each other, more like it. Their fingers are so pale that Jungkook thinks no blood is flowing into them.
“I’m so sorry, Jungkook-ah,” are Yoongi’s first words, his voice hoarse and raw from all the crying. “If I had checked more thoroughly-”
“hyung,” Jungkook cuts him off in a scolding tone. “It’s not your fault. None of your faults. You cannot blame yourself for this. Promise me,” he orders, snatching Yoongi’s free hand and squeezing.
Yoongi closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. He nods a couple of times, and Jungkook truly hopes Yoongi keeps to his promise though he knows it’s wishful thinking at best. At least he’ll have the others to keep those thoughts away.
Their goodbye kiss is soft and gentle. Yoongi caresses Jungkook’s cheeks, presses butterfly kisses to the corners of Jungkook’s mouth, and tilts Jungkook’s head down to kiss his forehead too.
“Love you, baby,” he rasps out. “Always.”
“Love you always,” Jungkook whispers back, blinking quickly as hot tears spring into his eyes again.
Yoongi stays close when Jungkook turns to Seokjin and Namjoon. Namjoon is the one to grab Jungkook and crush him in a bear hug this time.
“If I could trade places with you, Jungkook-ah,” Namjoon murmurs. “I’m so sorry for failing you. I was supposed to protect you, to take care of you. I’m sorry, baby.”
“Hyung, you did take care of me,” Jungkook protests. “You gave me a loving home. These years with the six of you were the best of my life. I couldn’t have asked for more.”
Namjoon shakes as sobs wrack his body. He continues to whisper apologies and I love you’s to Jungkook, presses kisses all over his face.
The spell burns Jungkook’s collarbone now and he jerks away from Namjoon, hissing in pain.
Seokjin is last to hug Jungkook. Jungkook lets himself lean heavily against his oldest hyung, lets himself whimper and cry. As much as Jungkook is grateful to have six hyungs he loves so much, the grief that tears his heart into bloody raw ribbons is proportional to that. And it fucking hurts.
“We’ll never stop loving you, Jungkook-ah,” Seokjin promises in a low whisper. His voice trembles but his arms are strong around Jungkook. “Our amazing beautiful maknae. Hyungs will meet you on the other side, okay? You’ll wait for us?”
Jungkook nods several times. “Make me wait a long time, hyung. Decades.”
Seokjin snorts a desperate and choked little laugh. “Anything for you, my love.”
Jungkook presses his lips to Seokjin’s plush ones, pecks them several times before finally pulling away.
The dagger in his hand is suddenly beyond heavy as Jungkook eyes it. He glances up at his hyungs, meeting gazes with each one for the last time.
“Hyungie, will you?” Jungkook murmurs, extending the dagger to Namjoon.
Namjoon’s fingers tremble as he takes the weapon. Seokjin hugs Jungkook from behind, a solid warmth, comforting even in this situation.
Jungkook closes his eyes as his heart rabbits in his chest, his breathing quick and uneven. Adrenaline and fear flood his system, and Jungkook can’t even imagine how Namjoon feels.
The tip of the dagger pricks Jungkook’s chest. He’s really grateful Jimin keeps his weapons sharp, so this would be as quick and painless as possible.
But a moment passes. And then another. Only the occasional sniffle disturbs the quiet.
Jungkook opens his eyes slowly to see Namjoon just crying silently, staring at Jungkook’s chest.
“I can’t do it,” Namjoon croaks out. “I can’t do it.”
Jungkook whimpers and grabs Namjoon’s hand, trying to make him press the blade in. “You have to, hyung. Please, you have to,” Jungkook begs in desperation.
The anguish swallows him whole. Jungkook won’t be able to live without them. It’s not fair of them to force him into this dark deep pit of despair and loneliness again.
“Shh,” Seokjin hums, whether to Namjoon or Jungkook, Jungkook can’t tell. “Hyung will do it,” he says.
Namjoon cries out more apologies even as he hands the dagger to Seokjin. The others gather around him, right in Jungkook’s line of sight. Jimin grabs Jungkook’s hand, Yoongi takes the other. Taehyung holds a shivering Namjoon, petting his hair, and Hoseok presses to Jimin’s back.
“Just look at your hyungs, baby,” Seokjin mumbles, low and soothing. The dagger pricks harder against Jungkook’s chest, making him gasp. “I’ll make this quick. You won’t feel a thing.”
But Jungkook does feel. He feels the quick and precise push of the blade between his ribs. He feels it slicing into his heart. He feels warm blood dampening his sweater. He doesn’t feel pain, though. Only his hyungs love is as prominent as ever.
As his heart stops beating, Jungkook’s body is flooded with relief. He did good, he thinks. He saved his hyungs and that’s the most important thing to him.
An impossible blackness greets Jungkook, but he’s not afraid of it. His hyungs shouts of misery and sorrow morph into something more melodic, an enticing call of Jungkook’s name. And Jungkook can’t help but follow it.